Pink Floyd / The Early Years (27-disc box)

This giant journey through Pink Floyd‘s Early Years is probably the most expensive music box set you’ve ever pre-ordered. However the depth and reach of the material which features unreleased tracks, BBC Radio Sessions, remixes, outtakes and alternative versions, live and TV performances and original quad mixes is undoubtedly impressive. In total, over 25 hours of audio and video performance.

Bob Dylan / The 1966 Live Recordings (36CD box set)

Someone on the SDE facebook page asked (presumably rhetorically) of this set “Who has got the time to listen to 36 CDs?”. The answer to that question is that you have the rest of your life, which is hopefully a long time! This Bob Dylan box set contains “every known recording from his legendary 1966 tour” and is an important historical document that will be treasured by many.

David Bowie / Legacy

No David Bowie fan needs another ‘greatest hits’, but on the other hand us Bowie fans love to buy Bowie releases! Legacy does offer a few slivers for collectors, including rare radio edits of Lazarus and I Can’t Give Everything Away as well as a new mix of Life On Mars.

Sting / 57th & 9th (new album)

Sting‘s first ‘proper’ rock/pop album since 2003’s Sacred Love is released this week. The contradiction in terms that is the CD+DVD ‘super deluxe’ stayed at £51 on Amazon UK for ages before becoming ‘unavailable’. Best advice is to forget that and go for the reasonably priced one-CD deluxe edition.

The Beatles / Live at the Hollywood Bowl (vinyl)

Two months after the CD edition comes the vinyl version of the remixed and expanded version of The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl. That cover doesn’t get any better. The blu-ray of the film is also out on 21 November.

Simple Minds / Acoustic

This better-than-expected collection of “stripped down and re-imagined” reinterpretations of Simple Minds classics includes Someone Somewhere in Summertime, Alive and Kicking, Don’t You (Forget About Me) and Promised You A Miracle featuring fellow Scot, KT Tunstall.

Crowded House / 2CD Deluxe Reissues

These Crowded House deluxe sets were supposed to be released last Friday, but were postponed for a week at the last minute. The SDE interview with Jeremy Ansell (co-producer of these sets) is recommended reading.

The Band (and friends) / The Last Waltz

Various 40th anniversary editions of the classic live extravaganza that is The Last Waltz are being released, including a 6LP vinyl version of the complete 54-track (as issued on 4CDs).

The Rolling Stones / Havana Moon (various editions)

The Rolling Stones‘ gig in Cuba in March this year is celebrated with the usual array of editions and options including 3LP+DVD and 4-disc deluxe book set.

Various Artists / Lost Highway (vinyl)

This fantastic soundtrack to a typically confusing film from David Lynch features music from David Bowie, Trent Reznor, The Smashing Pumpkins, Lou Reed and Marilyn Manson, as well as contributions from Lynch’s longtime musical partner Angelo Badalamenti.

Yoko Ono / The Plastic Ono Band (vinyl reissue)

Yoko Ono‘s 1971 album which featured no less than John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman and Ornette Coleman is reissued on vinyl (and CD). Other Ono titles also available.

Probably not a bad idea! The only vinyls I bought recently were Styx A&M Years and Prince, since there are no remastered CD versions. Other than that, anytime they include vinyl in a box set, it sits on a shelf. And sits…and sits…and sits…and sits.

@John Norris, also mentions Echoes in the Amazon description but neither track listed on the official PF site. The non inclusion of Julia Dream is a deal breaker for the 2CD set. Not interested in the box set either as there is too much excess baggage for me. Will stick with Relics and the albums I have in the Discovery box for the early years.

I see they’ve stuck She Blinded me With Science as the very first track on that Golden Age of Wireless Thomas Dolby album sabotaging the careful running order yet again, as did the first CD release way back in the day ignoring the original LP order. Collectors edition CD respects the correct tracklist adding bonus tracks afterwards and on a second disc.

Aliens Ate My Buick is a poor album but Astronauts and Heretics, Flat Earth and Golden Age are all worth having with TGAOW being a stone-cold classic. Odd to see Gothic included in that box. Gate to the Mind’s Eye absent from this Dolby box too.

I suppose that I should find it hard to believe that they didn’t bother to look at Dolby’s most recent remasters, and take those as the baseline, but we’ve seen this happen before. I guess the only interesting thing is that it pulls Gothic into the canon – an album I must admit to neglecting to pick up – and reverts Aliens ate My Buick to how it appeared on vinyl, dropping the additional final track (it was never actually listed on the sleeve as a bonus track) that was appended on the CD: the full length 12″ version of May the Cube be with You.

Strange that Thomas Dolby / Original Album Series was released in October because i bought it from the Amazon marketplace though i still haven’t recieved yet despite it being dispatched on the 24th October.

Re Yoko : why have you only listed the vinyl of Yoko/POB? There are various other editions plus Unfinished Music 1 & 2, including clear and white vinyl. I dont want to sound old and grumpy Paul, but I think they are far more interesting than Lloyd Cole or Sam Brown stuff :-)

My mum passed away a couple of months ago and I consequently received a couple of thousand pounds from her estate. She always used to buy all her Christmas presents early, as she had restricted mobility and it made life easier for her. She always waited to buy mine, though, as I always have a list of CDs that I give to my wife nearer the holiday. My mum would always pick something from the list as she was always aware, and encouraging from an early age, of my obsession with music. This year she didn’t get to see the list, so I assumed I would be the only one without a gift from her. I wanted to spend all the money on sensible things, like paying off the credit card or getting a new kitchen. However, my wife has insisted on me using some of it to get a Christmas present from my mum and she suggested the Pink Floyd box. So, I look forward to Christmas morning when I will be able to pore over this expansive collection but I’m sure I will crying like a baby while I’m doing it. Thanks mum x

Beautifully put Paul, I remember when my mum passed away, I went out and bought the Beatles Stereo and Mono box in the same day. Whenever I listen to the boxes I always have the memory of that, but as time went on it reminded me more of the good times. You’ll have a great Christmas, there literally won’t be enough hours in the day to listen to your new box set! Good luck buddy.

Like others here, I find your post very moving. I would endorse what everyone is saying, and agree that this looks like a really good way of remembering this part of your relationship with your Mum, which from the sounds of it was a thread that ran down through the years. The PF set is a lot of money, but this is a way of letting your Mum buy you something that you quite possibly would not have bought yourself, so all the more reason to splurge and then remind yourself of her support for your hobby every time you…well, even just looking at it will probably suffice.

It sounds arrogant of me, a complete stranger, to suggest that this is something she would have approved of, but from what you’ve told us, I hope you take the sentiment as intended. Carpe Diem, and to hell with Barclaycard or whoever (for this Xmas at least)

I don`t get all this moanin` `n` groanin` about digi-pack releases. Take the CDs out normally and you won`t scratch/mark them. I have always preferred them over jewel cases. They are nicer to look at, have better art work and better to handle. I have taken all my CD that were in jewel cases, out of them and placed them in clear packets made for the purpose. That was some task when there were 3000+ in jewel cases, I can now place 4 CDs in the space taken by 1 jewel case, those CDs that were in boxes are now back on the shelves and room for more! Those digi-packs also make the shelves look good.

Yes, this seems to be the case. A 28th CD containing the Pompeii tracks is simply knocking about separate to the actual box in a plain paper case. It is unclear whether everyone gets it, or if it’s exclusive to people who buy it through certain PF channels, or what. Along with some other issues that have been noticed on the Yeeshkul forum (mislabeled tracks, poor quality box), the mess just got messier!

I’m a bit worried about the lack of news regarding Bowie’s individual remasters from WCIBN? box set. Maybe they’ll be out early next year on both CD and vinyl? With the first box the individual discs were out at the same time as the box set, then the vinyl versions came out some months later. Is it possible they are delaying them because they want to focus the buyers attention on ‘Lazarus’ soundtrack and this new greatest hits package? Or maybe we won’t have those three albums available separetely at all? Any idea?

@ Paul, Phil, hamicle, Kevin, Kauwgompie, Tom and Richard: Thank you all so much for your kind words. It’s been a tough couple of months but music has truly been my ally. It seems only fitting that I remember her this way. I knew if anyone would understand it would be the discerning patrons of SDE. I think she’d be more than pleased. Moreso because I have a brilliant wife, with canny ideas, looking after her boy! Thanks, again, for taking time to offer condolences – much appreciated :)